Dear Colleagues,

Happy Holidays! Thank you for your continued support and partnership with our program. We are grateful to engage in this meaningful work alongside of such brilliant and dedicated community partners. There are so many exciting events and opportunities occurring in the coming months.

Please see below for program updates, resources and PMH-related trainings and events.

The Introduction to Maternal Mental Health and the Mothers and Babies Course is now available!

This program overviews maternal mental health and common psychological disorders and symptoms experienced during the perinatal period with an emphasis on depression and anxiety. The program also provides an introduction to the Mothers and Babies Course, a prevention of postpartum depression intervention recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Want to learn more about Maternal Mental Health? Register here

BabyText Program

The BabyText Program is a research study for Spanish and English-speaking preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum women who are interested in learning skills to manage changes in mood related to the perinatal experience. The BabyText program teaches mood management skills! This study is available in English and Spanish and includes: Phone calls, video chat meetings, and text message tips for 3-6 months (about 5 hours total)

To join click this link or for more information visit: www.babytextstudy.com

Join us at our next PMH Project ECHO!

Have you heard of our Project ECHO? It is an innovative, knowledge sharing, virtual learning space that enables practitioners to come together in an “all teach, all learn” model to strengthen our perinatal mental health care in the DMV. Join us for our next ECHO on January 23^rd from 11am-noon for a conversation with Mental Health Therapist Anna Griffith on the intersection of home visiting and perinatal mental health.

Use this link to sign up for our PMH ECHO calls

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 

(1-833-9-HELP4MOMS), as well as toolkits and guidance from the following medical governing bodies:

➤ American Academy of Family Physicians (LINK)

➤ American Academy of Pediatrics (LINK)

➤ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (LINK)

See more resources on MMHLA's website.

RESOLVE National Infertility Association

Hosts a database of peer and professionally led support groups for preconception individuals and those experiencing family-building difficulties.  

Find a support group in your area 

Maternal and Infant Health Advocate Training 

This training is for anyone interested in learning more about maternal and infant health resources to help them. Coaching Salud Holistica (CSH) is a Latinx owned consulting company for health education programs. CSH provides evidence based programs and workshops in English and Spanish covering various health disparities in minority communities. To learn more about Coaching Salud Holistica: Click here

This training will take place via Zoom on February 2, 2023 at 6:00pm-8:00pm.

Register Here.

Mass General Hospital Psychiatry Academy

Psychiatric Disorders in Women: Diagnostic and Treatment Considerations Across the Female Lifespan

November 14 — January 1, 2023 / Virtual

Learn more.

2023 AMCHP Conference

Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health

Registration open now! Proposals due November 22.

This event will take place on May 6-9, 2023, in New Orleans, LA.

Learn more.

2023 Maternal Mental Health Forum

A Virtual Conference and Networking Event from 2020 Mom

March 22 — 24, 2023

Learn more.

Perinatal and Infant Psychiatry Conference

Separation and Connection in an Ever-Changing World: Understanding the Experiences of Parents and Babies

• Hosted by Wiell Cornell Medicine. More info coming soon!

May 6, 2023 / 9:00am - 4:00pm ET / Virtual

More info coming soon!

36th Annual PSI Conference

The annual PSI conference provides an opportunity to meet, learn together, and share ideas with others involved in the field of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). PSI will hold a 2-Day Pre-Conference Certificate Course on June 28 & 29, 2023 and the main PSI Conference will be June 30 - July 2, 2023

June 28 — July 2 / Kansas City, MO

The deadline for proposals is January 4.

Learn more.

Conversation with Lee Johnson III, PhD

As part of Early Childhood Mental Health Awareness Month, Lee Johnson III, PhD, a member of MMHLA’s Board of Directors and an expert on infant and early childhood mental health, shared some thoughts. According to Dr. Johnson, "As early as 3 months, before babies utter their first words, they are experiencing a whole range of emotions. The first years of a child’s life are critical for brain development and for building the foundation for all future learning, social and relationship skills, physical development, and health.

Read more.

Launch of 988 Sees Increased Use of Lifeline Nationwide

Reporting from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline indicates that there has been a sizable jump in calls and texts to the Lifeline after the launch of 988 in July. There was a 28% increase in calls in July compared to the month before implementation and the number of calls, texts, and chats increased by 45% when comparing August 2021 to August 2022. Some projections predict that this growth could double or triple by the end of the first year of implementation. 988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors for those experiencing mental health distress. Read more.

Queering Perinatal Mental Health Podcast

The MCH Bridges Podcast from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) recently released an episode titled "Queering Perinatal Mental Health." The episode explores the unique perinatal mental health experiences of queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people. Queer and trans families are at higher risk for perinatal mood struggles and experience unique challenges in their parenting journey. 

Listen here.